norwood



No. swim.

(No Model.)

E. 0. NORWOOD.

HOE.

(Application filed Dec. 27, 1897.!

Patented Dec. 20, 1898.

I 9T0 P Edwin flal madii NITED TATES PATENT Brice.

EDXYIN OSBERN NUIUYOOD, 01' MALUNE, TEXAS.

HOE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 616,201, datedDecember zu, 1898.

Application filed December 2'7, 1897. Serial No. 663,627. No model.)

Be it known that I, EDWIN ()snnnx Non- WOOD, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Macunc, in the county of San Augustine and State ofTexas, have invented a new and useful lloe, of which the following is aspecilieation.

My invention relatcs-to garden-tools, and particularly to hoes of thevarious types, with special reference to means whereby a hoe,

rake, or other tool-blade is attached to the handle to facilitatedetachment when not in use orto facilitate the replaecmeutof abrokeuhandle; and the object in view is to provide a handle-attaching' devicewhich does not nocessitate a special construction of handle.

Further objects and advantages of this in vention will appear in thefollowing descriptiun,aud thenuveifeaturcs thereof iiibeparticularlypointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tool of the hoeclass having its blade secured to the handle by an attaching deviceembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a central sectional view of the same.Fig. 23 is a detail View of the follower or clampplatc. Fig. '1 is atransverse section of the eye.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theIig'u res of the drawlugs.

1 designates a tool-blade, integral with which is formed an open-endedeye 2, slightly tapered toward the rear or from the plane of the bladeand arranged at its front end flush with the outer surface of the blade.The handle 3 is preferably tapered slightly toward the grip end forinsertion into the eye from the front side of the blade, and extendingthrough the eye is a follower or clamp-plate 4, having upturned ordeflected extremities 5 located beyond the extremities of the upper sideof the eye in contact therewith to prevent endwise displacement of theplate. 00 operating with this follower or chimp-plate is a set-screw (3,threaded in a suitable opening in thc uppcr side of the eye andimpinging terminally uponthe plate at an intermediate point to force itinto ellicient frictional contact with the uppe side of the handle. Toprevent turning of the handle in the eye, the upper side of the formeris preferably flattened slightly, as shown in Fig. 4', the under orinner surface of the follower or clam being approximately fiat, whilethe upper or outer surface thereof is convexed to conform to the concaveinner surface of the eye.

An advantage of the above-described construction resides in the factthat while both ends of the socket are open to prevent the retention ofmoisture therein the detachment of the handle can be accomplished withfacility and that in addition to being readily displaeeable the handlecan be firmly secured to the blade to resist any strain liable to heapplied to the .tool when in lise.- Furthermore, the slight'tapering ofthe handle and of the eye in which it is fitted prevents the endwisedisplacement thereof when a draw-.

in; strain is applied thereto.

The head of the set-screw 6 is preferably looped to form a rod-seatadapted to be engaged by a suitable rod or bar to facilitate the turningof the set-screw and insure the proper seating of the follower orclamp-plate upon the surface of the handle.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- The combination of atool-blade having an open-ended eye, extending rearwardly from the planeof the blade and interiorly tapered toward its rear end, a handletapered toward its grip end and removably lltted in said eye, the upperside of the handle, within the eye, being flattened, a follower orclamp-plate seated within the eye upon said flattened portion of thehandle, said follower exceeding the eye in length and having upturnedextremities arranged in contact with the opposite ends of the eye toprevent endwise dis.-

placement and allow adjustment of the follower, toward and from theplane of the havedle, to take up looseness of the latter in the eye, anda set-screw threaded in a socket in the upper side of the eye andimpinging terminally upon the followerat an intermediate point, tomaintain it in frictional contact with the handle, substantially asspecified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I havehorcto aflixedmysignature in the presence of two witnesses.

EDWIN OSBERN NORW'OOD.

\Vitnesses:

1). A. ]\lCDONALl), W. \VADE.

